Family is a big deal in Italian culture. It turns happy moments into huge celebrations, and provides solidarity during tragedy. For award-winning Italian/Napa Valley chef Michael Chiarello, family is everything. His early memories — his mother’s simple but heartfelt cooking and an extended family of cheesemakers, ranchers, winemakers and butchers — gave him a lot of the inspiration and style he follows to this day. The prestigious Bottega North Bay in Napa Valley takes those roots of comfort food and natural produce, and elevates them with masterful culinary techniques and perfectly-balanced flavors.

The Man

Bottega, like any magnum opus among San Francisco restaurants, is an extension of its creator’s personality. Chef Chiarello’s distinctive cooking style has always been to focus on classic dishes and organic ingredients, trust in the recipes handed down from generation-to-generation and then cook them perfectly. He has a lot of respect for southern Italian traditions, and it shows with a heavily pasta-influenced menu and farm-to-table produce and proteins.

Chef Chiarello himself is well-known for his participation in tons of TV shows, from Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters” to A&E’s “Celebrity Bucket List.” What makes all of this special is that diners still get to see Chef Chiarello in the kitchen at Bottega, seasoning dishes himself, putting the finishing touches on plating and chatting with guests after dinner.

Bottega’s Take on Food

The name Bottega refers to a personal workshop where an artist can create anything: sketches, sculptures or paintings. That goes for the restaurant’s dishes too. They’re genuine, heartfelt, but far from simple. Chiarello’s formal training at the Culinary Institute of America brings a ton of precision and ingenuity to the table. It means finding the best way to highlight the individual flavors of each component of a dish, so the whole is reflected in many subtle layers.

What to Order

Bottega’s comforting Raviolo di Uovo is handmade potato pasta with an organic egg yolk, Swiss chard and fresh ricotta. That part feels like dinner at a north bay area farm. But then, adding truffled brown butter and aromatic sage, the dish goes from rustic to refined in a split-second. Here are a few other critically-acclaimed creations.

Polenta under glass with caramelized wild mushrooms, balsamic game sauce and a Parmigiano frico

Atmosphere

Bottega is located in what was once Vintage Estates, one of the earliest wineries in Napa. That means diners can expect the intimate feel of exposed brick, dark wood beams overhead and pillars throughout the dining room, original wood flooring and Murano glass chandeliers. The decor is elegant and traditional — with parchment-toned walls reminiscent of Rome — but also friendly and warm. It provides a gorgeous backdrop for romantic occasions and special events, but also a laid back ambience that seems made for having a good time with friends and loved ones.